De*tect"ive (?), a. Fitted for, or skilled in, detecting; employed in detecting crime or criminals; as, a detective officer.
De*tect"ive, n. One who business it is so detect criminals or discover matters of secrecy.
De*tect"or (?), n. [L., a revealer.] One who, or that which, detects; a detecter. Shak.
A deathbed's detector of the heart.
Young.
Bank-note detector, a publication containing a description of genuine and counterfeit bank notes, designed to enable persons to discriminate between them. -- Detector lock. See under Lock.
De*ten"e*brate (?), v. t. [L. de + tenebrare to make dark, fr. tenebrae darkness.] To remove darkness from. [Obs.] Ash.
De*tent" (?), n. [F. détente, fr. détendre to unbend, relax; pref. dé- (L. dis- or de) + tendre to stretch. See Distend.] (Mech.) That which locks or unlocks a movement; a catch, pawl, or dog; especially, in clockwork, the catch which locks and unlocks the wheelwork in striking.
De*ten"tion (?), n. [L. detentio: cf. F. détention. See Detain.] 1. The act of detaining or keeping back; a withholding.